There are a lot of VR games out there. Many of them can make your pulse race while you do things like box, slash boxes, and run around shooting monsters. There are a lot of amusing videos of people doing things like running into walls while playing. But what if you want to have more of an idyllic experience? You can play cozy VR games while still being immersed in the graphics and feeling like you’re in another world. Here are 10 games where you can do just that.
1. Crop Craze
Have you ever wanted to have farm real estate without having to pay a lot of money? Do you crave the country life? Crop Craze is a perfect game for that. You can walk around your farm and grow crops … and even pet a wandering kitty, too! One of the goals of these types of cozy VR games is to plant seeds and then watch them grow —fortunately, this part is sped up; otherwise, you’d be waiting a long time. You can go to a well and fill a water sprinkler to help that along. Then you can pull out the crops and sell them.
The best thing about this is that you can have a farm without having to smell certain aspects of the farm — like droppings. Let’s hope that they never input certain sensory aspects into the game. Then it might not be as relaxing.
2. Kayak VR Mirage
Do you love being on the water? This game is perfect for that. You can kayak through so many different settings — a beautiful tropical setting where the water is so serene. It’s almost like you are cutting through glass. You can look around you and see wildlife either flying around you or swimming near you — there are dolphins, orcas, stingrays, and even humpback whales. The best part is that you won’t actually end up swimming if you tip over when playing these fantastic types of cozy VR games.
There are also options in case you want to get your blood flowing. You can do solo rapids, or you can race against others in all the distinct types of settings. When you have to fight against a current to stay on course, you’ll feel like you’re there. This is a great game for people who want to kayak but don’t want to have to keep theirs in storage.
3. House Flipper VR
Are you a fan of watching those shows where people buy ruined homes and then do a whole home remodeling job? You can step into that world … and not strain any muscles doing things like breaking down walls or repairing sinks and other appliances. Painting is a breeze — you can spray paint an entire wall and still have your actual clothes stay perfectly spotless. It’s a relaxing form of cozy VR games.
You’ll find yourself wandering around a ruined house. The people that lived there before were certainly not considerate! There’s going to be trash on the ground, dirty counters, broken appliances, dingy walls. It’s up to you to make it a place worth selling! The cable networks might not be calling for you to host your own show, but you’ll still have a blast.
4. The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets
Hearing the words ‘Stolen Pets’ is not something that you might think would fit well in the genre of cozy VR games. Don’t worry, this isn’t a game that’s going to get you upset. Instead, you’re going to be put into a world that’s narrated by your grandfather. He’ll transport you to areas that will leave you in awe, including underwater ones. Along the way, you’ll see incredibly cute animals, including puppies with eyes that will make you melt.
The gameplay will have you solving puzzles that involve pushing and moving things with the VR gloves. The music of Wintergatan will keep you immersed throughout. If you want a relaxing time in worlds filled with imagination, this is the game for you.
5. Gadgeteer
Are you addicted to those videos of people creating intricate chain reactions, whether they are dominoes or cards that create images or where things hurtle around ramps in a house? You can create your own things … and you’ll also be able to keep your actual home neat. It’s a great game for aspiring electricians since they learn about chains too.
These types of cozy VR games are perfect for those who forever like to tinker with things. You’ll have a lot of choices of things to use, ranging from beach balls to bananas. Your avatar will be able to stack boxes and use tubes and other things for ramps to send balls and other things around your virtual home. Didn’t work the first time? You can always re-adjust. Parents will be glad that their home will be neat and tidy while their child plays the game.
6. Orvus VR: Reborn
This first may seem like more of a traditional role-playing game. You can treat it as such by picking from a variety of classes, ranging from a scoundrel to a warrior to a wizard. It can also fit into the genre of cozy VR games — more on that later. Go out and do battle with monsters … and then when you’re finished, you can go relax. Or you could ignore battle altogether and go into exploration mode.
Wander around a beautiful land. You can grab a pole and while away some time fishing. There’s even the option of having dragons as pets. Wouldn’t you love to be able to do that in real life? At the very least, you’d have something that could deter burglars. There are a lot of things you can do, like tick removal – the nerve of those pesky critters trying to ruin your time fishing.
7. Garden of the Sea
In these types of cozy VR games, you have your own island. It’s a relaxing experience where you can do anything from growing your own garden to petting the local wildlife — which includes a friendly triceratops. You can even go fishing for fish to add to your very own koi pond. On top of that, you can get in your own steamboat and tool around the area and explore other islands.
That’s not all. The graphics are excellent. You’ll be in awe of the landscape lighting, whether it’s day or night. There are also areas where you can just plop yourself down and spend some time meditating alone with your own thoughts. It’s a perfect game to just enjoy life.
8. Fujii
A lot of cozy VR games have gardening. Not like this, though. You’ll walk through lush forests and find all kinds of unique creatures that are gentle. There are no worries about them turning bad. You can plant seeds and grow all kinds of things that will wow your imagination. All of this is done in a tranquil setting that will have you forget about your worries. The creatures will follow you around and even give you some friendly waves while you make your way around. Some even play instruments!
You’ll find that there are a lot of things going on in the world of Fujii. You can solve puzzles to make your way around the three organic biomes. There are even pet hospitals for your little critters. Don’t worry, they get better. If you want to spend time in another world, this is the game for you.
9. Hotel R’nR
This game’s a bit different from the other ones. You’re in a hotel as a rock and roll star. It’s goofy and while there’s some violence in it, it’s cartoon violence. Basically, you can let out some aggression in these types of cozy VR games. Your goal is to go around destroying the hotel and gain infamy while appeasing the Devil, whom you signed a contract with. How else do you think some of these musicians we see today became famous?
You’ll see everything from sarcastic maids to annoying hotel front desk people that are just asking for some good ol’ fashioned cartoon violence. It’s not Grand Theft Auto … It’s Hotel R’nR, where it can mean rest and relaxation or Rock and Roll. You can put together your own band with other players, or you can go out as a solo artist. Let out your inner bad boy or girl and have some fun.
10. Deisim
God games are among the best types of cozy VR games. You get to be a deity to an entire world. Start from the beginning and toss down some land. Create oceans. Then you can add some humans to the mix. Help them grow from Stone Age cave dwellers who just discovered fire to people creating residential architecture and more. Eventually, they will build cities and improve their technology rapidly.
After a while, when they reach the higher levels of technology, you will see them try to conquer the next frontier — space. It can be a relaxing experience creating these miracles for your subjects – though you may find heretics who don’t believe in you. When you do, you can just grab them and toss them away. That’ll teach them. You may feel like some parts of your life aren’t under your control, but this game will relax you as you become the best deity that you can be.
Where can you find these games? Most of them can be found on the game platform known as Steam. It’s an easy download and the games aren’t that expensive, with most of them retailing for between $15 and $20. That’s a deal for the entertainment that you get from them. You’ll need a VR headset, like the Oculus Rift in order to be able to play them since they are VR only and not able to be played on other platforms.
Many of these games also have different language support built in. They can be in anything from French to Thai. That way, the people playing them won’t feel left out due to any language barriers. This can lead to a truly immersive experience since they will be able to understand everything that’s being said. Music also plays a large part, and these games usually have gorgeous soundtracks that some people even like listening to outside of gameplay. Oftentimes, these soundtracks are available for purchase separately.
Just like video games have improved from the blocky graphics of the Atari 2600, VR games have become so much more realistic over the years. While they haven’t reached the level of total realism where you could be fooled — things move just a bit differently in terms of physics than if you were to have the same thing in real life — they’ve made leaps and bounds over the years. In a few more years, the graphics are going to be even more stunning to look at.
While VR isn’t going to replace real life, there’s something to be said for putting on the headset on a gloomy rainy day and wandering around a sunny world. You might even be able to imagine the sun hitting your skin as you do. It’s a good distraction for a while — at least until the sun comes out, and you can breathe the actual fresh air again.
This is just the start for cozy VR games. The graphics are going to get even better and the experience even more immersive. Apple will fully be in the VR field soon — though they might have to work on their price point. If you can successfully play these types of games with your iPhone, then it’s going to be even more fun. It’s going to be fascinating to see what the future brings. For now, though, keep on relaxing and enjoying the overall feelings.